Thanks some excellent play in net, the Detroit Red Wings managed to take the extra point in the shootout against the New York Rangers.
Let’s extract eight observations from Detroit’s impressive win on the road.
#1: Greiss stole the show. Thomas Greiss kept the Red Wings in the game until the very end, putting up a brick wall in OT and the shootout. Greiss finished with 37 saves and a .949 save percentage. Detroit’s back up goaltender seems to be heating up a bit – this was his second straight excellent start (last one was against the Flyers, where we finished with a .941 save percentage).
#2: Larkin is still having a great season. Dylan Larkin continued his excellent season with a snipe of a goal, retaking the lead in the second period. Larkin has nine points in his last five (three goals and six assists) – he’s been red-hot. Detroit’s captain has been their best players this season, and he doesn’t show an signs of slowing down.
#3: Stecher making his return felt. Troy Stecher hasn’t been back long, but he is making his presence felt on the time. He’s been good in both the offensive and defensives zones, and he earned a goal for his efforts – a rocket of a shot. With such a thin defensive core, Stecher is a welcome addition to the blue line. Keep an eye on the defenseman around the trade deadline if he keeps this up (although Steve Yzerman might just want to keep him).
#4: Seider still doing Seider things. Moritz Seider earned an assist on Larkin’s goal, and his fingerprints were all over the game. From absorbing massive hits to making great plays in both zones, Seider continued to impress in New York. The Seider hype train isn’t slowing down at all.
#5: Red Wings were outplayed for a good stretch of the game. Detroit was outshot 39-33, as New York really took over late. However, a great first half was good enough to keep the game in hand down the stretch. Against such a hot team, the Red Wings were a bit lucky to come out with the extra point in the standings.
#6: Power play still ineffective. The man advantage did no favors for the Red Wings against the Rangers. The unit failed to convert on any of its four attempts. With a brutal stretch up ahead, Detroit will need to take advantage of these opportunities to make it out alive. The goaltender can’t steal the show for you every night.
#7: Above .500. Well, Detroit is back above .500. They’ve fluctuated plenty this season, often falling more than a few games below average, but every time they’ve thought back. Most wrote off any hope of the playoffs a few weeks ago – but the chances are still alive.
#8: A solid start to a really tough slate. The Red Wings are in the midst of the hardest part of their schedule, really started Monday night against the Wild. Just two games in, Detroit is 1-1. Things don’t get much easier, as teams like the Colorado Avalanche and the Carolina Hurricanes loom in the distance, but Detroit has started the slate off with a solid start.